


Puppy Love

by lets_winwin



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cute, Dancer Dong Si Cheng | WinWin, Dogs, M/M, Photographer Nakamoto Yuta, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 19:36:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16750312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lets_winwin/pseuds/lets_winwin
Summary: Having just moved to Japan, Si Chen finds making new friends tough and hard. Having been so busy with school, and his work as a dancer in the local theater, he really needs a change.Perhaps that change will come along with the cute mysterious dog that he met by accident, and the kind photographer who decides to change the dying fate of the old theater.





	Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> [ this is a re-upload! it was originally on my other account, mimnen (tens_across_the_board) but i created a new account just for nct fics. ]

You could say life was hectic for Sichen at the moment.

Last week he was still at home in China, eating meals with his family and enjoying the time that he had with them. His move away from home however already began months earlier, when he was given a place in his current school. That also happened to be slightly further away from home that all of them had expected. In Osaka Japan.

The move to a different country scared him slightly at first, as he knew zero Japanese or anyone from that said country. So he thought about cancelling his already paid semester a few times, before he finally managed to gather his courage and take the opportunity.

The international arts school offered him great opportunities and Sichen knew he would be able to build a good future for himself after he graduated. He just had to get through the few years of school before he should dream about something bigger.

He enjoyed his small summer vacation back in China, still learning traditional chinese dance like it was his religion. To some degree it was, as he had been doing it and performing ever since he was a young child. He had spent hours, months and years while dancing, but he doesn't regret it at all.

Coming to learn and dance in Japan was a whole new thing for him, as Sichen had never even been on an airplane before. The travel made him feel nervous, and so did the move.

His parents weren't rich, but they made sure to support his dream with all they could. Sichen also used to work for a local restaurant whenever he wasn't in school or dancing so he also made some money for himself. But they still only barely managed to gather the money for his first semester, flight, supplies for school and the monthly payment for the apartment he would be staying in.

Sichen felt bad for making his parents pay for so much, as he couldn't do that himself. But he would pay them back in the future, when he would be graduated and had his own job.

Moving day was emotional, as one could guess.

His mother cried, and his father didn't wear that usual smile on his face. Of course they would talk each day through the phone and send messages to each other, but the farewell still left them all sad. The plane ride to Japan was a quiet and lonely one.

*

With his nonexistent Japanese skills and knowledge on the country, or his new city what he would learn to call home- Sichen had to make sure that he would be taken care of when he arrived in Japan, that he made sure back in China.

Through his new school, he was able to get in contact with one of the many teachers working together with international students. Their job was to make sure that the students arriving to their school from all over the world were taken care of when they first arrived, and in the future.

To be honest, Sichen couldn't catch her name during their first meeting or remember her as he was so dazed and out off it for a while after stepping out of his plane. But he eventually got to know her better, as his language teacher.

Victoria was very nice and handed him many fliers that also had the chinese translations on them. Also giving him his books that he purchased back in home. She showed him around his new school and campus as well as his new apartment that was near the school.

Sichen wouldn't be staying in the campus, as he really needed to have a proper space for his own and living with multiple roommates in an unknown space just terrified him. So the tiniest apartment complex that he had ever seen, which was located a short walk away from the school was his best option right now.

It was smaller than his previous room back in home. The front door opened to reveal a room, that held everything in it to be used as an apartment. A bed that could be folded up and placed against the wall, a small couch that would rub against the bed whenever it was lowered down. Also a small balcony that you could only visit by going through a window. The apartment had a small bathroom that you could barely turn around in, as well as a shower that you had to squeeze into. No kitchen, but a small fridge that was also used as a table. There was a small closet for his clothes, and a few shelves for all his school material. That was all he would have to survive through his school years with.

Getting used to it all was a struggle at first.

*

The food tasted different, people spoke a different language and Sichen was honestly having a hard time getting to know anyone. He was greeted by many of the people living in the same apartment complex as him, but he couldn't really start a conversation with any of them as they didn't speak the same language.

Sichen spent his first week going from school, to the cafeteria, to dance practice, local store and then straight back to his apartment. It became a routine for him, that he had a hard time breaking out off for a while.

He met a few chinese students in his school, but he didn't see them that often as they only shared a few classes together. But he at least had some people to share a lunch with. Sadly, all of those chinese students came from families that were way more wealthy than him, so they all lived away from the school, in bigger and better apartments. Sichen didn't join in on the conversation about having parties on the weekend or going out drinking. He would speak with his parents on the phone and chat his old friends instead.

Before he could even realize it himself, Sichen had been in Japan Osaka for over a month already.

The many faces living in his apartment complex had became familiar by now and he greeted them kindly whenever someone would smile at him or wave their hand. He could greet well now and even chat a little. He even got himself a job through school, as he delivered mail. He was slowly gaining confidence in speaking to others with Japanese and almost wished he had put himself out there even more in the beginning.

While maintaining a good balance between school, dance and work, he began to think that perhaps meeting new people in there somewhere wouldn't hurt.

*

The fallen leaves that autumn brought with it were crackling underneath his shoes as Yuta walked along the busy streets. The wind was blowing coldly and throwing his hair in all different directions, his scarf almost going with it.

He stood still, coming to the buss stop that he waited in for up to an hour a day in total, if the buss he took was late sometimes. The small shelter next to the buss sign was already crowded with people so he stood behind the glass-made structure and waited patiently.

Traveling by buss was way slower than if he were to travel through the underground, but he preferred the people travelling by a buss. The underground was always so crowded and he had seen way too many odd cases in there during his times travelling. And this buss route always went right pass his apartment building so he could get off easily and not have to walk anymore.

His apartment was quite a way away from his work place, a small magazine stamping place where he worked as a photographer. He provided the local magazine his photos regarding different articles and often traveled around Osaka to find the best photos. Travelling by buss was his favorite favorite choice of transportation, as he could snap some good photos along the way quite often.

His favorite scenery to capture was the busy side of Osaka. He would take pictures of the huge crowds, festivals and the evening view of the city once the sun had set and colorful lights were lit. He would wonder around the city, go through crowds for hours until he had ran out of memory space.

Someone had once told him, that he should think about bringing his talent of being able to capture such beautiful photos to somewhere larger and where he could get paid better. But Yuta was happy here.

 

He jumped out of the buss, saying his goodbyes to the friendly buss driver, Mr. Takahashi, who he had got to know well over the years. One time Yuta forgot his umbrella inside the buss, and the old driver decided to bring it to his own home and take it back to work the next day because he knew Yuta would hop back onto the buss the next day.

Yuta even once saw Mr. Takahashi and his lovely wife walking along some street when he was on his day off, and he offered to take their picture for them. Yuta brought the pictures to his work, and used his own time and money to print out the photo on a larger scale and hand it to Mr.Takahashi personally. The smile on his day was enough to make Yuta's day.

 

Yuta's hands went through his pockets, finding his apartment key and opening the front door with it. He cleaned his shoes against the mat on the floor and began to climb up the few flights of stairs, leading up to his small apartment.

As he took one step to his floor, he could already hear the faint crying sounds coming from somewhere. A smile spread on Yuta's face as he walked up to his apartment door, looking down at the small crack underneath the door and seeing the busy shadow move behind the door.

Yuta twisted his keys, opening the door.

'Hey buddy!' Yuta laughed as his cheerful friend welcomed him home.

Niki, was a energetic two year old Shiba Inu who came into Yuta's boring life as an accident.

The doggy was born from a puppy mill and soon placed into a rescue center with his whole litter, as they wouldn't go for sale for some reason. It took a while, but soon almost all of the puppies had been taken to homes, but Niki stayed.

Yuta had came to the rescue center to take some photos for a story in the magazine about the rescue center, and he had spotted Niki by accident as he was walking around the center. It was pretty much love at first sight, and he just couldn't leave him there.

Yuta signed the papers the very same day, and came to get Niki home a day later.

Yuta, who previously loved to stay alone at home, watch tv and play games all day when he wasn't working had completely transformed thanks to Niki . Now, the two of them went on long walks, to dog parks and dog friendly cafe's. Yuta met other people who were dog lovers like him and made more friends. Niki was like his wing-man when it came to making new friends. Everyone absolutely loved him.

Like every other day, Yuta just quickly left his backpack at home and put Niki in his harness and they were off to venture the city.

*

Sichen was tired.

The bags underneath his eyes had never felt heavier as he was pretty much forcing himself to stay awake as he was walking to his apartment. His feet moved lazily, kicking rocks and leaves along his way.

The bag hanging off his shoulder felt heavy, as his many books swayed from side to side with each step he took. The same books were the reason behind the bags underneath his eyes, as he had been staying up late for many days now, practicing for his exams.

Japanese was still hard. Sichen could speak it better than write, but that was a problem when it came to doing exams. Grammar mistakes were critical, and he would need to practice a lot, so that he could get through the exams with somewhat good grades.

In the end he only really cared about dancing. And he was doing great there. But the stress of everything happening around him was affecting his dancing as well. Sichen almost twisted his ankle during last practice when he let his mind adventure somewhere else, most likely to worry about his school. He really needed to clear his head.

Having almost already made it back home, Sichen stopped and stood still for a moment, holding onto his bag.

He could go back home. Have a lousy cheap meal and watch boring shows for a bit before studying. He would repeat the same schedule for days and weeks. Only breaking out off it on the weekends when he would go out somewhere with some of his classroom friends. He needed a break from it all, just for a moment.

Instead of heading back to his small apartment, Sichen took a left and crossed the street.

 

The small park placed in the middle of many apartment buildings was a popular place where people came on walks, runs and held different groups meetings like yoga or cycling competitions. Sichen visited the park only once before, when he was adventuring around the neighborhood of his new apartment.

He remembers seeing a few good places where he could stop, sit down and do some of his school work in a different environment. He also visited his schools library a few times before, but found that the air inside was a bit too odd for him and made him sleepy when he tried to do his assignments. Getting some fresh air would be good for him.

Sichen walked a short way to the park, entering it through one of the many gates around the fenced area. Kids usually played around in there after school, as well as dogs, so the fence protected them from the busy streets nearby.

Sichen walked slowly, taking in the sights and trying to remember what he remembered from the park. The first time he came here was when it was summer, and the whole park was full of people and the small lake was in busy use, as people wanted to escape the heat. Now the surface of the lake was covered in colorful leaves, and a few ducks swam in it calmly.

There were a few people in the park that he could see, but otherwise it was nice and calm. Sichen walked up to one of the many tables set around the park and claimed it as his own for the next few hours.

It was slightly chilly outside, but it wasn't windy, as the many colorful trees planted in the park created a good shelter for the wind. Sichen was also wearing warm clothing, so he would survive.

He lifted his bag onto the wooden pick-nick table and opened it, taking out his school books. He only carried a few with him, as the rest were in his locker at school. Right now he only needed to carry his language books with him at all times, as he needed to practice nonstop in order to improve his Japanese.

He took out his favorite book, which was easy to read as it had both Japanese and Chinese on it, as well as good explanations for correct grammar. He had read through most of it already, but he went over parts that he couldn't remember and he used this book to help with with other school assignments.

Sichen was in study mode, speaking out loud quietly as he studied some old and new Japanese words that he needed to know well. He also wrote them down, to help him have a better handwriting as writing in Japanese didn't feel too natural yet. He wanted to be able to move his pen naturally, without a worry and be able to write in Japanese.

He had been writing for a while, when he decided to remove the thick fluffy gloves that he had been wearing to protect him from the cold. He took them off and placed them on the bench next to him.

It didn't take too long, when he got back into writing and reading, that he felt a gust of wind go near him very quick. Almost as if something had ran behind him very quickly. Sichen let his pen fall to the table, turning around to look behind him.

There was nothing there. He turned back around, taking a hold of his pen. He now felt a bit chilly. He reached for his gloves, only to catch nothing.

He stared at the now empty spot next to him on the bench, blinking a few times. He could have sworn that he placed them right there, in a neat bundle. He even peeked underneath the table to check if they had fell there, but no. They had just vanished.

Sichen sat still for a moment, trying to remember if he had actually just imagined having them with him, and left them at his apartment or school. But he was so sure that he did in fact take them with him, and he wasn't just losing his mind due to all the homework.

Having checked his coat pockets and even his backpack, he hadn't found them. Sichen was almost going to let it be, and just forget about it, but then he felt another gust of wind pass him quickly. He span around while seated, lifting his brows as he saw who was behind the mysterious dissappearance of his gloves.

A short dog, with a big grin on its face, was sitting on the ground. It just stared at him, blinking it's dark eyes as if it was waiting for something, tail wagging.

'Oh.' Sichen let out as he finally realized what the dog wanted, as he noticed his gloves, which were formed into a neat bundle between the dog's front legs.

Instead of being sulky that his gloves were 'stolen' and possibly made dirty when the dog took them in it's mouth and placed them on the ground, Sichen broke into a faint smile.

He had dogs in his old home too, from puppies to older dogs who he loved very much. He loved playing with them and taking care of them during his free time. They had a family dog back in China at the moment, and he missed her very much. Sometimes when he called back home, his mother would make him speak on the phone while her mother held the phone up to the dog's ear, which was hilarious in his mind.

This caramel colored short little Shiba Inu looked like a friendly one, as it smiled widely with it's tongue out and wagged it's tail as it waited for Sichen to play with him.

Sichen smiled, reaching his hand out near the dog that it began to sniff at for a while. With a shy voice, Sichen greeted the dog with his fresh Japanese skills, still seeming a bit rusty. But the dog didn't mind. It understood that Sichen was a nice person, even if he couldn't speak fluently.

'You like to play catch?' Sichen asked, taking his bundled up gloves that the dog pushed forward with it's nose.

Sichen lifted his arm up, laughing as he watched the dog stand up and run a bit further already as it waited for Sichen to throw the gloves. It barked a few times, wiggling it's butt as it kept it's eyes on the 'ball' while backing up. Sichen decided not to tease it any longer, and threw the bundle as far away as he could, because they didn't have that much weight to them.

The doggy ran after the gloves, catching them midair, as if to show off it's skills. As soon as it got a hold of the gloves, it ran back to Sichen with light steps.

'You're really good at this.' Sichen smiled as the dog gave the gloves back to him, already waiting for another throw. Sichen gave the doggy a few pats on the head, then noticing the black collar on it's neck.

Sichen moved down to reach the collar, carefully searching for a name tag, that he finally found. Of course, it was written in Japanese, so he couldn't really make out what was carved on the metal. But he did get to memorize the characters.

Before he got to throw his gloves to the dog again, a faint whistling could be heard somewhere from the quiet park. Both Sichen and the dog stopped, and Sichen watched as the dog's ears moved to the direction of the whistling. There was a pause, before it could be heard again.

The dog stood up, looking at Sichen one more time before it took off running, towards it's owner.

Sichen stayed still for a moment, taking the time to remind himself that what had just happened was indeed real and not just a day dream. Though it seemed so unreal.

But it did indeed happen, and Sichen had something to remind himself from it. The name of the dog that he couldn't read out loud yet, because of his Japanese skills. But he did somehow remember the characters that he saw, so he quickly took out his note book and scribbled them down, so he could learn the name later.

Perhaps it was all for nothing, but for some reason, Sichen had a feeling that he would be seeing this doggy again.

*

It took around a week, till Sichen decided to go to the same park again.

He had gone through a long week of studying and practicing dancing, and needed that time outside to relax. The weather was getting cooler, and daylight became rarer. Sichen knew that he still wanted to enjoy it and spend time outside.

He prepared better this time, wearing a thicker jacket and better shoes to walk through the park with. He also took his trusty pink fluffy gloves, but not because he was expecting them to come handy in case he met a special pup. He had another thing for that.

 

The road between his apartment and the park was slightly busy, so he had to wait a while before he was able to cross the street. The park however was quiet, if you ignored the one family with kids who laughed loudly near the pond.

The table, that he last chose to sit near before was also free at the moment, but instead of sitting down right away, Sichen decided to walk for a bit.

Seeing the people, the view and everything around him change like the seasons, made him feel some kind of way. Perhaps a bit sulky.

Having been in japan for a few months now made him sometimes feel a it homesick, and sometimes he felt like he had built something already for himself here in Osaka. He couldn't really call it a home already, but the school of arts was something that he always wanted and finally had it.

Sichen was a performer now, as a local traditional Chinese theater gave him a job as a weekly performer. He now gained more money and got to leave his previous small paying job. He felt proud of himself for moving forward in his life all by himself, and managing to support himself more. His parents were also very proud.

But handling a job, as well as school and all the homework that gathered over the days wasn't an easy thing. But he knew that from the very beginning, and still took the job. Because he loved it with his whole heart.

He got to perform for a small audience a few times a week, while showing them his own choreography and skills. He also gained new friends from the theater, who's company he enjoyed as they shared similar interests and the same language.

Sichen was slowly coming out off his shell and showing a more outgoing personality that he always had inside himself. He was just so shy in the beginning, as everything was so new and odd to him. He was ready to face new challenges every day.

But keeping that mindset took a toll on anyone, so he needed this time for himself every now and then too. Just to be able to take a moment away from it all.

Everyone had a way of getting rid of stress, it being either sleeping, eating or playing games for hours straight. Sichen usually liked to dance away his worries or do this. Go outside and breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the scenery around him.

 

He walked around the park for a moment, even seeing the small pond and watching the cute ducks for a moment. The weather was slightly colder than he expected, but he still didn't want to go back to his small apartment, that he called his 'closet' these days. Instead he walked back to the familiar bench and took a seat.

First, he checked his phone. The group chat that he got added in a day ago, filled with his new friends from dance class was busy, as people kept messaging each other and sending odd memes left and right. Having already been left behind on the current conversation, Sichen didn't feel the need to add anything to the already messy group chat. Instead he scrolled through social media for a few minutes, then placing his phone back into his pocket.

Sichen sat still for a while, just looking around himself and tapping his feet against the ground. He didn't bring his books with him, as he needed a break from studying. But sitting still in silence was becoming slightly boring, and he always needed something to fidget with.

He then remembered what he had stuffed inside his coat pocket before leaving his apartment.

A few days ago, when going grocery shopping, Sichen came a cross a small section in the shop meant for animals. Perhaps the thought of the friendly dog that he saw last time was still fresh in his memory, because he went straight into that section and began to scroll through the cute things.

He then noticed the pink neon ball, that only cost so little that he had to add it to his basket. Besides, he could also use it as a stress ball if he needed to.

Sichen took out the small ball, and looked at it for a while, then bouncing it on the table and catching it in his hand. He continued this for a while, liking the thumps that the ball made when it bounced against the wooden pick-nick table.

But even that couldn't keep him entertained for ever.

Sichen didn't even really know what he had been waiting for. It was slightly foolish to think that he would see the same dog again, now that he thought about it. Perhaps he would meet the mysterious doggy again some day, but he couldn't expect to see it every time he visited the park.

Sichen had to admit defeat for the day and he decided to leave the park.

*

Yuta knew Niki well, as he had him for so long already.

He knew he was afraid of balloons, squeaky toys and loud wind. He knew that he liked chicken, stuffed animals and the water. Every now and then Niki would surprise him with a new thing that he either learned or decided to start liking, but that was rare.

So any new, odd things that Niki would do, usually came as a surprise to Yuta. Especially if Niki acted a bit weird at times, like he did these days.

Niki was usually very calm at home. Even in the small apartment, he could learn to rest and find a space for himself to sleep on and a time and place when he would play. But these days the only things Niki did was stare out of the balcony window.

Even when evenings would get cold, and the balcony too, he would scratch the door as he asked to be let to the balcony. Then, he would jump up on one of the garden chairs and just sit there. Watch for hours as people walked across the street and rode their cars. It was like he was waiting for someone. Yuta found it odd.

When ever he came home from work, Niki wasn't too keen on welcoming him back home anymore, but instead he almost hurried them to go outside. Yuta thought that this was because Niki had to go to the bathroom really badly, but even after he had his first chance of emptying his bladder, he would pull on his leash so hard that he would cough, as they made their way to the park.

As soon as Yuta would let Niki run free, he would run to a direction as fast as he could, running through bushes and past people. This wasn't like him, as Niki usually liked to take his time in the park by smelling everything and greeting every person who came close to him. But these days, the only thing he was interested in was a lonely bench on the far side of the park.

Niki would circle around the bench, smelling it and sit down next to it, looking at Yuta with an odd expression. Yuta didn't know what to think of it.

Perhaps some odd animal, like a badger had went ahead and peed near the wooden bench, and the smell of it was making Niki act so weird. But could that be it, when even leaving the park became an odd thing, as Niki would almost try to run away from him when he took out the leash again.

Whatever it was, Niki was acting weird now. Perhaps they should avoid the park for a little while, if something there was making Niki act so anxious.

*

Yuta arrived at his work place early in the morning. Today was slightly special, as he was working on a weekend.

Niki thought the change was odd as well, as he wasn't let sleep in later like on most Saturdays, but instead they went on a early morning walk before Yuta had to catch a buss to his work place across the city.

But there was a special reason for this all.

A local traditional Chinese theater was celebrating it's 50th year in business, and was holding a special show for everyone available to come. This was most likely just a publicity stunt, as the rumor was that they weren't getting that many visitors anymore, compared to the old times.

Whatever the reason might be, it caught many people's attention, and the local media wanted to get a story out of it. That meant more work for Yuta, so he wasn't complaining. He would be in charge of getting the perfect pictures of the free show open for everyone who could fit inside the small theater.

So he had to be there early. He grabbed his equipment early in the morning, taking a buss and arriving straight at the theater.

His company had contacted the place yesterday, asking if Yuta could arrive earlier than the actual audience so he could photograph the empty theater and whole building. This way he could get the perfect pictures and way easier as there weren't any people around him, possibly bothering him. This was alright with the owners of the theater, and he was given access to photograph almost anything.

So he was pretty excited actually. During the buss ride there, he didn't take out his camera once, as he wanted to save his card space for all the pictures he would be taking inside the theater.

Yuta liked to capture scenery pictures more than anything else. He wasn't really that into capturing tiny details, as he liked to see a big picture form in his photos. But he was always up to seeing new things and maybe finding a new thing that he would love to photograph more in the future.

He had never been inside the theater before, so he had no idea what to expect. It could be beautifully decorated or either very badly taken care of. Either way, he was working. He would still provide his boss with the best pictures he could take.

The buss ride was short. It was around 8 am when he arrived at the theater, well before the people would start showing up so he could photograph in peace.

He got off the buss at the stop, and quickly walked up to the front door of the theater. The mornings were always colder, so he luckily wore warm clothes. But he still felt slightly chilly as he waited for an answer after he knocked on the door.

A moment passed before an older male opened the door and greeted him. Yuta was quick to introduce himself and show his camera equipment.

He soon learned that the man was the proud current owner of the theater. He was excited that Yuta had came, and was telling him about the history of the place as soon as Yuta managed to get inside the building.

He had to admit, the place was gorgeous.

Decorated with old, golden statues and bright red velvet curtains, the old theater looked like something out of a movie. It had been kept well in good shape over the years.

The owner of the theater explained that he had taken the place of the owner after his grandmother, who was the very first owner and creator of the theater. Built in the early 1960's, the theater used to be the talk of the town.

The chinese people who had migrated to Japan all those years ago, found a place that they could call home and see their own culture through dance and plays. The Japanese also visited the place with great interest, as they wanted to learn more about their neighbors.

These days however, the theater is not as popular as it was before. Only holding one play per week, the theater gains usually around twenty people who visit their shows. Which is nothing compared to the size of the place, which can hold up to two hundred.

It was slightly sad, and Yuta could sense that emotion coming from the owner as well.

Yuta became determined. Determined to capture amazing pictures for their magazine article. He wanted more people to know about this place and what it had to offer. It would be truly a shame if the place would have to go down, due to no clients.

Yuta finished speaking with the owner, gaining all accessibility to the whole building. He would have an hour worth of time to get his pictures, before the people would show up to watch this weeks show. However, he predicted that sadly not that many would show up so he might have even more time in his hands.

Yuta began by taking pictures from the entrance of the building, as it was the first thing that captured his attention. It was beautifully decorated, and the walls were covered in very old newspaper articles that had been done very long ago, showing the great numbers of visitors that the theater gained weekly. Also showcasing some of the most talented actors and dancers that Yuta had heard about, who had all either participated in some show at the theater or had came to see one.

You could see the love that the owner had for the place, as a perfect mix between old and new had come together in this theater. The air didn't smell old or funky, but clean and fresh. The theater had been kept well and cared for.

Yuta moved with his camera, walking down the hallway, when he heard music.

He peeked around the corner, looking in awe as he saw the main stage of the whole theater. Yuta had not realized how massive this place truly was until now.

He walked slowly, taking pictures of the seats around the stage and the massive lights shining down onto the stage. Yuta searched for his phone in his pocket and looked at the time. He realized it was quarter past eight, and time for final rehearsals.

The owner had asked for everyone's permission before he came, that he could take pictures of the actors and dancers for the magazine during the practice and the final show. He could also ask and interview them if they agreed to it.

Placing down his camera for a while, Yuta took a seat at the front row where he had a great view onto the stage very near him.

Now, Yuta had to admit. He wasn't that into arts. He only enjoyed taking pictures. But dancing, drawing, singing and acting had never interested him that much. Not to mention that he actually knew zero about traditional Chinese dancing and acting.

Perhaps he should have done some research before coming, but he decided to leave that to the writers of the magazine.

The practice started, with the dancers coming in as calm music played through the amazing speakers. They moved like water, expressing the music through their bodies. With the music, there was a story told as the actors joined the stage. Spoken in Chinese, but the projected Japanese translations that were shown on the wall right next to the stage helped a lot.

Though this was just a practice, Yuta felt himself being drawn into the story.

The actors were incredible, showing such real emotion and strong voices as they sung live like their life's depended on it. They showed actual tears and desperation, even when they were just practicing. Yuta thought that was amazing.

He saw dancers and singers of all ages and backgrounds. They worked together in perfect harmony.

The show came to it's highlight, and Yuta had to be grateful that he got to see this practice all alone as he found himself so immersed in the story that he was tearing up.

The main character of the play was wounded, and his lover cried for him through a scream that made shivers go Yuta's spine. He began to wonder how long this woman had been an actor for, as she was that good.

The stage turned to black, as the main hero of the story took his last breath after being wounded in battle.

The text ''The dance of the wounded Soldier'' slowly shined on the wall, as a single light appeared on the stage.

A dancer, dressed in a big fitting cotton shirt and pants lied on the floor of the stage with sorrow in his eyes. The pale make up he wore on his face made things clear, that he was dead.

The violin playing in the back tugged at his heart strings, as he watched the sad and lazy movements of the dancer on stage.

It was sad. And Yuta didn't know someone could express sadness in such a way through dance. He felt almost foolish for getting so caught in this play, putting himself inside it and with the characters. This was actually the first play he ever saw, and if this is what they were all like- then Yuta just found himself a new favorite thing to watch next to movies.

The dancer moved gracefully, expressing the song and story with all his movements and face. He had a very attractive face, and body. Yuta could see why he was given the highlight dance part in the play.

Not only was he attractive, but he was very good. In Yuta's opinion, he was the best dancer he was yet to see.

In a beautiful way, the show came to an end. The music climaxed and all the performers came up on stage, to bow down to the crowd. That only consisted of Yuta at the moment, which made him feel slightly embarrassed as it now seemed like everyone was looking at him from the stage. After bowing down, the actors and dancers slowly began to walk backstage.

Still in awe, Yuta finally snapped out of it.

He had forgotten to take any pictures during the rehearsal.

 

*

 

Sichen looked through his phone, ignoring the fuss going on behind him as everyone spoke about the rehearsal and how they thought they did.

Sichen was honestly slightly disappointed in himself. He felt like he still had a lot to work on, and needed more practice. But there was no more time as the real show would begin in less than 30 minutes.

There were times when he thought to himself, why even bother worrying himself over something like this, when in reality he will only be performing to twenty people max. Would they even care that he made some small mistake that only he would know about? Perhaps not, but he still cared.

After all, this was his dream job. Sichen would never get lazy or not be hard on himself over dance. He needed to be hard on himself, so he would keep improving and getting better.

With a sigh he put his phone down, looking at himself in the mirror. The makeup on his face was slightly smudged, so he needed to fix it. There were no makeup artists, as the theater had to cut something from the budged. Now the dancers and actors have to do all of their makeup their selves. Which was challenging to him at first, but Sichen was quick to learn.

He added the pale face paint to give himself that dead look, and fixed his hair that got messy during a part of his dance routine where he laid on the floor. Being done with that, he decided he needed to go and walk for a bit. The small men's changing room was becoming too crowded and busy for his liking. He needed some fresh air, but he wouldn't step out through the back as that was where everyone went to smoke, and he didn't need to smell that right now.

Instead he went back on stage, just sitting down on the edge of the high stage and dangling his legs off of it. He took his earphones out from the pocket of his pants, connecting them to his phone and pressing play.

The original music for ''The dance of the wounded Soldier'' began to play.

Sichen closed his eyes, moving with the music.

Dance to him, was like breathing. He needed it to survive.

It caused him pain and discomfort at times, but he enjoyed the thrill it gave him. He was addicted to being on stage. He had been ever since he was a little kid.

The stage was his other home. He was in his comfort zone when dancing. He didn't feel awkward or shy when dancing. When dancing, Sichen felt like a whole different person. He had confidence, strength and something to cherish when he was dancing. It was what kept him sane during the rough times.

The violin solo rang in his ears, mimicking the sorrowful cry that the main character would let out in the play. His feet slid across the stage, toes tipping and jumping gracefully.

The song came to it's end and died out slowly.

In a trance Sichen opened his eyes and pulled out the earphones.

He almost dropped his phone when he heard the faint clapping.

 

'That was amazing!' The person exclaimed while standing up from their seat. Had he been there the whole time, Sichen wasn't sure. But he quickly recognized the person as the photographer who had watched their practice.

Sichen bowed awkwardly, hoping the white face paint he had on would cover the hotness that he felt on his cheeks.

'Thank you.' Sichen then said, surprising himself with how confidently he began speaking Japanese.

'I saw your practice as well, and i have to say- i can see why you have been given the ending finale of the whole play. You're an amazing dancer.' The man around his age grinned, sounding shameless and charismatic as he spoke.

Sichen shook his head shyly. 'Thank you, but no. I am only doing my best.' He then said.

The photographer was the one to shake his head now, moving to jump up to sit on the stage. 'I really think you have talent you know. What made you want to perform here?' He then asked.

Sichen stayed quiet for a moment, fiddling with his phone as he thought about what to say.

The man then let out a laugh and face-palmed himself. 'I'm so sorry, i didn't even realize i hadn't introduced myself yet.' He murmured and got up to stand on the stage with him.

He then bowed down, smiling as he spoke.

'My name is Nakamoto Yuta. I am the photographer from the local paper, who is collecting pictures and information about this theater for it's 50th anniversary.'

The man- Yuta, spoke quite fast and it took a moment before Sichen's brain got to translate and understand everything he was saying. But he got a nice and friendly vibe from him.

'I am Dong Sichen.' He said and bowed as well.

'Great to meet you Sichen!' Yuta exclaimed excitedly. 'I have to ask, may i interview you quickly for the paper? It would be great to hear something from a dancer as well.' He then asked, digging up his small notebook.

Sichen looked puzzled for a while, blinking his eyes a few times as he thought about it. Normally he would say no, but this was about his work. He loved dancing and wanted to be known for it. So after a moment, he nodded his head.

'Great!' Yuta laughed, suddenly taking a hold of Sichen's hand and pulling him to sit down with him on the edge of the stage.

For a moment, Sichen thought about what did he just get himself into.

Yuta asked him a few easy questions, after realizing that Sichen's Japanese was not the greatest yet. But he was still able to answer the questions really well and give an answer that he was satisfied with. Mostly the questions were about the theater and what it meant to Sichen, as a dancer.

Sichen tried to give answers that all the other actors and dancers would say, as they all found the theater to be very important in their lives and it was their other home. An oasis to come to during their busy lives.

Yuta was writing things down quickly, pen moving fast as he wrote down everything that Sichen said. He nodded his head and hummed.

'So, being able to perform here in this theater, was a miracle to some of you?' He then asked.

Sichen nodded his head. 'It really was. If it wasn't for the dedicated owner and the rest of the staff, many of us wouldn't have a place to go to. Performing here is the only source of income to many, and a place where they feel safe. I feel like most of us only have each other as friends.' He murmured.

Yuta smiled, pen stopping. 'It seems like this article couldn't come out at a time more perfect than this. This place deserves the visitors and seats taken more than anywhere else. You all deserve that.'

Sichen smiled. 'I think we are all hoping for a miracle, and that more people will show up after the article goes out.'

'You have my promise.' Yuta murmured, getting up from the stage. 'I will make sure that this story gets the front page of the paper, and more than five pages worth of material. I will make it my personal duty to make that happen.'

Sichen didn't know if he should believe that, but he wanted to. He really did.

He loved this place so much. He could not wait to get out of school each day to then go and come here to perform and practice. He didn't know how to live life anymore if this place would be gone.

Yuta could see that he was unsure.

'Hey, give me your phone.' He then said, knocking Sichen back to reality from his day dream.

Sichen blinked his eyes a few times, looking up at Yuta with an unknowing expression. He then dug out his phone, handing it to him, not even knowing why.

Yuta took the phone, quickly doing something and handing it back to him. Sichen looked at it for a moment, seeing what Yuta had done to it. He then noticed the new id added to his contacts.

'Call it.' Yuta said with a smirk. And Sichen did.

Soon Yuta took out his own phone which was ringing with Sichen's number flashing on the screen.

'There.' Yuta said, declining the call but saving the number. 'Not we both have each others numbers, so i guess you could say you now have one more friend, who is not from this theater.'

Smooth, Sichen let out a laugh.

'Well, i should let you go now. The real performance begins in a moment right? I don't want to bother you for any longer.' Yuta said, hopping off of the stage.

'And besides, i still need to catch those photos of the show. So remember to smile- or not- because your character is dead.' Yuta laughed at his words, making Sichen smile as well.

The other waddled off awkwardly, looking back at Sichen before finally waving at him. Sichen lifted his hand to wave back at him, pausing as he looked down at his phone.

'Nakamoto Yuta, huh.' He sighed with a smile.

 

*

 

The week had been tough for Yuta. He had been so busy while editing the pictures that he got from the theater, and choosing them onto the article. But he was satisfied with his work, and so were others.

The paper was printed and published on a tuesday, and immediately the sales of tickets for the next weekends show began to go off sale. It was truly a miracle, like Sichen said in a text message after the two talked about the paper.

Sichen had read it, and was very grateful for everything that Yuta did. He was very shy about the fact that his face had made it onto the front cover of the paper, but Yuta told him not to be shy about that. After all, he was the main star in the play.

Taking a break from work, Yuta wanted to spend some quality time with Niki again, as he felt like the doggy had been feeling kinda down lately, perhaps because Yuta had been away from home when working on this article.

So he wanted to treat Niki today, but the dog was acting strange again.

 

'Niki what has gotten into you?' Yuta sighed as he tried to pull the dog the other way. But it was no use, as Niki was determined to go to the park.

Yuta had been avoiding the park for a while now, as whenever they went there Niki would start acting weird again. So to avoid that, Yuta thought it would be for the best to change their routine up a bit and just go somewhere completely different on their daily walks. But Niki was not having it.

He would sit still, whine and pull on his harness so hard that Yuta would struggle to keep him from going towards the park. He even had to command him, which he never liked to do, but Niki was not believing him one bit.

Instead he was pulling on the leash harder and harder, panting as he had to get to the park.

Yuta rolled his eyes and gave up, following the dog.

 

'This is where you want to come so badly, just to wonder around?' Yuta murmured, watching Niki roam around the pick-nick table. He didn't understand why he was in such a hurry to always come to this same spot, just to sniff around and sit in place for a while.

Niki looked restless and almost sad, as he just sat around and watched the people go by. Usually he would go and greet everyone and run around with the other dogs. But that didn't interest him anymore for some reason. Yuta began to think if he had fallen ill.

Yuta got up from the bench, becoming bored with just staying still. He dug the leash from his pocket, holding it up from Niki to see.

'Alright, i think it's time for-' And just like that, Niki took off running.

'Niki!' Yuta yelled as he saw the dog run through the bushes. With a groan, Yuta took off running too.

He could still barely see Niki, who was running ahead of him in the park. Yuta's worst fear was that he would exit the park, and run off into the busy road near. He kept yelling for Niki, trying to get him to turn around and stop playing around.

But it didn't look like he was just playing around. He was running somewhere, like he had a set destination. Yuta didn't like that one bit, as they were slowly getting more and more further away from the park and closer to the road.

He was yelling from the top of his lungs, for Niki to believe him and stop. But he didn't, and kept on running. Even the people passing by couldn't catch him, as Niki dodged them like a fast bullet and kept on going.

Yuta was running out of breath, his knees giving up on him and slowing down. He was gasping for air, eyes turning watery.

Niki made a sharp turn, disappearing into the bushes and trees across the street.

Yuta leaned against a street light, sweat dripping down as he gasped out. 'That damn dog.'

 

*

 

Sichen frowned slightly as he looked at his phone. A fellow dancer noticed this as the two of them were sitting in the dressing room next to each other.

'Something bad happened' He asked, seeing how Sichen looked to be upset about something. Which wasn't anything like him at all as he was usually always cheerful.

'Huh?' Sichen asked, drawing his eyes from the phone. 'Oh, it's nothing.' He then murmured.

His friend continued to look, looking worried as he knew that Sichen wasn't telling the whole truth. Sichen then sighed and put his phone away.

'I was supposed to meet someone tonight, but they had to cancel.' He murmured.

'Aw i'm sorry.' He said, patting him on the back. 'Was it supposed to be a date?'

Sichen almost choked on his own saliva, looking at him with wide eyes. 'No! No, of course not.' He laughed awkwardly. 'We were just supposed to see this one movie together, but it's fine.' His friend giving him an odd look.

'Besides, they had to cancel because their dog had gone missing. I wouldn't want to drag them somewhere when they are worried about their pet. I have lost a dog before too, and i know how worrying that is.' He murmured.

'I see.' His friend sighed. 'And i guess you could always meet some other time?'

'Yeah.' Sichen said, getting up from his station. 'I just hope they find the dog, it's getting cold at night these days...'

Sichen and his friend began to leave the dressing room. They had been practicing for the next show very hard the whole day and really wanted to leave already. Having already changed their clothes, they walked out of the dressing rooms and through the huge theater hall. Both of them said their goodbyes to the rest of the crew who stayed to practice some more.

Sichen grabbed his coat from the locker at the front, pulling it on himself and digging the pockets to find his trusty gloves.

His friend needed to stay behind for a moment so that he would catch a ride straight from the theater, but Sichen used the buss to get to home, so he left already.

It was slightly dark out, and the wind blew onto him as he opened the front door and stepped outside.

Sichen stopped and began to look for his earphones that he forgot to put on, taking off his gloves and placing them between his legs. While looking for his earphones, he let out a small yell as something touched his leg in the darkness.

'A dog?' Sichen murmured as he looked at the familiar pup who leaned against his legs, tugging at his gloves. It let out a bark and waved its tail. It was very cold outside, but the dog seemed to be healthy.

'Now what are you doing here.' Sichen murmured, taking the quite heavy dog and lifting them up. Sichen remembered this dog, as the one who visited him in the park.

'What was your name again...' Sichen thought as he searched for the name tag that was hanging on the dog the last time. Luckily it was still there.

'... Ni... Ki..?' Sichen read the now more familiar letters. 'Niki?' He then asked, seeing how the dog reacted to it's name.

'Oh my god.' Sichen let out a laugh, realizing the connection. As he did, he called Yuta immediately.

 

*

 

'So it was you that Niki has been waiting for weeks now.' Yuta laughed, seeing Niki enjoy himself as he ran after the ball that Sichen threw. 'I should have known, because he only likes kind people.'

Sichen laughed. 'I believe he was more into my gloves.' He said, joining Yuta on the bench. Both watching Niki who was joyfully chewing on the ball and tapping it with his front paws.

There was quiet, as Sichen swung his legs and Yuta held his hands inside his coat pockets.

'I'm sorry that our date didn't really work out.' Yuta then suddenly said. Looking at his feet.

The word 'date' still sounded weird to Sichen, as it made him blush and feel awkward like a teenager in front of their crush, which wasn't honestly too far from reality.

Ignoring his heated cheeks, Sichen turned and looked at Yuta. 'This is just fine.'

'Really?' Yuta laughed. 'Is freezing out here really that much more fun than seeing a movie?'

Sichen nodded innocently. 'Besides, i don't even like movies that much.'

'Then why did you even say yes when i asked?'

There was a pause. 'Well, because you asked. I didn't really care what we were going to do. I just wanted to be with you.' He murmured quietly.

Yuta smiled, grabbing onto Sichen's hand. 'That was so cheesy, where did you learn to say that?'

Sichen murmured a quiet 'i don't know' and leaned his head against Yuta's shoulder, making the other laugh.

Niki ran up to the two, the ball in his mouth and tail wagging excitedly.

'We still haven't made up yet Niki. I am still very upset at you for running away.' Yuta spoke, pointing his finger at the dog who grinned widely.

He then looked back at Sichen, smiling as he leaned his head against his. 'But you did make this happen, so i can't stay mad at you for that long.'

Taking a hold of Yuta's hand, Sichen closed his eyes and felt the cool wind blow during the late hours of the day.

They didn't need a fancy dinner date or a cool meeting spot.

Just like when dancing, or when speaking to his parents on the phone. Sichen felt comfortable when he was with Yuta. He felt cared for and safe, when he held his hand tightly like this.

Sichen felt like he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> [ my twitter @mimmelil ]


End file.
